Thursday, June 16, 2016

The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide

I bought this book on impulse because:

1) Cats
2) Japanese author

That about sums up the book.

After reading a couple of books translated from Japanese, I have a new found appreciation for all things Japanese. I appreciate the simplicity they make of daily life and the connection to nature. Perhaps this is a stereotype and I've not read enough books, but that's the impression I get from Endo's Silence and Murakami's 1Q84.

Anyway, this book is about a man and his wife whose neighbour bought a cat. One day, it wandered into their home and made frequent visits thereafter. We learn about the playful yet untouchable cat and the relationship it develops with the couple.

When it dies in a car accident, both are devastated. The story doesn't end there though. We see how they cope with the death of the cat and as they subsequently move out and encounter other cats.

I liked the simplicity of the text and story and would recommend all, cat lovers or not, to pick up this slim volume for an hour of literary cat appreciation.